The Goddamn Batman

Batman: Arkham Asylum. Pretty cool.

I got it on the weekend thanks to STEAM. It would have been five pounds cheaper to get it on Amazon UK or Play.com, but to avoid as much of EA's DRM as possible and to avoid collecting any more computer game DVD cases, I thought I'd go for an electronic copy that will last for much longer than a CD with a limited number of installs.

There is something very satisfying about silently laying the smackdown on half a dozen armed thugs without any of them knowing... then letting the last gangster find all his buddies strung up from gargoyles or lying unconscious in twitching heaps.

Which is where the psychology factor comes into play. Using the "Detective Mode", you can (among other things) measure the heart rate and psychological condition of anyone in the area. A guard walking around without being threatened will be "Calm". A thug who finds one of his comrades dangling upside-down from the rafters will become more cautious and careful until, once he has seen enough fear-evoking scenes, he becomes "Terrified" and will start jumping at every little noise or shadow. If he actually sees Batman while in this state, he is more likely to cower and flee than to fight.

The combat is good too. You can take out almost any number of regular thugs without much of a problem if you keep your head. The challenge appears a) when you are trying to get a massive combo multiplier, or b) when you're facing enemies armed with weapons (stun batons, knives, guns, etc.) Sometimes your fights are really mixed up. You'll face some regular thugs, some armed henchmen, and then some extra-powerful enemy like Bane. Then there'll be a gun locker on the wall that you'll want to keep your enemies away from so that they don't equip themselves with firearms.

So even though the combat and the henchmen elimination both seem simple to begin with, the difficulty ramps up as the game goes on; by the end of it all, you really have to think on your feet to survive some of the challenges the game throws at you.

There is a healthy supply of secrets and collectibles too. They're not just there for boasting rights either. After all that, you've still got the Challenge Modes to work your way through before you've completed the game entirely.

There wasn't anything I didn't really like. My "spacebar thumb" got a little sore after a while; and I would have preferred a normal camera during the final boss battle instead of the static one you have to work with. All in all, though, the game was very enjoyable. It is well-paced, gives you plenty of time to explore, and provides a variety of ever-more-challenging encounters and puzzles.

It's more than worth giving a go. I'd almost go as far as saying it's very much like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time... but that sort of comparison is reserved only for very special games I think.